Oh man, they sell bourbon at Costco in WA state? The most we get at Costco in VA is mediocre beer and MD doesn't get squat for alcohol.
try living in a state that you can only buy booze from state owned stores.. the price goes up even more
This just went into effect in June. Previously if you wanted spirits you had to go to the state run store with mediocre selection and they wouldn't order anything in for you. The voters finally said that the guys making the rules and charging the taxes shouldn't be the guys also running the business and setting the prices.
So to get back at the voters for kicking them out of the business they imposed a 20.5% sales/sin tax. So while that bottle of Makers might be cheaper on the shelf than it was previously its now a buck more once they get it to the register and tack on the governor Chrissy Taxmores share.
The bonus that i can see at the moment is that it allows places like Costco to sell here in WA like they do in CA among others. It also brought in BevMo, a spirits, beer and wine retailer so our selection should be much better.